The Turkish hamster (Mesocricetus brandti), also referred to as Brandt’s Hamster,^[2][3] The Azerbaijani Hamster,^[3]or Avurtlak,^[4] is a species of hamster native to Turkey,^[3] Armenia and other surrounding nations.^[2] The Turkish Hamster, first catalogued in 1878,^[2] is a fairly close relative of the Syrian Hamster and the Golden Hamster,^[3] though far less is known about it, and is rarely kept as a pet (some sources state that the hamster is not kept widely as a pet^[3][4] while others simply say that the hamster cannot be kept as a pet due to its aggressive nature^[3]) . The population of the Turkish Hamster is said to be declining in the wild,^[2] yet this hamster is often used in laboratory testing.^[3] Turkish Hamsters have a life span of approximately two years^[3] and are solitary,^[3][5] nocturnal animals who practice hibernation.^[2][3] . They are reported to be more aggressive^[3] than other members of the Cricetidae Family^[3] and are tan and dark, sandy brown in color.^[4] Like all hamsters, the Turkish Hamster has cheek pouches that allow it to carry large amounts of food at one time.^[4]

Habitat and behavior

Hamsters are found in the wild throughout Europe and Asia^[2][3] and are considered to be extremely adaptable,^[2] living in scrublands, sand dunes, desert steppes and farmlands.^[2][6] The land in which the Turkish Hamster lives is extremely dry and open, with fairly little vegetation aside from grass.^[2] Turkish hamsters usually live between 1,000 and 2,200 meters above sea level,^[2] though some have been found both above and below this range.^[2] This hamster burrows in the ground for shelter,^[2] and its burrows can be anywhere from 20 inches to 6 feet below the ground surface.^[2] These burrows are complex, consisting of several tunnels leading to separate cells for nesting, food, and waste.^[2] Turkish Hamster burrows are well-enough equipped for the hamsters to hibernate for anywhere between 4 and 10 months (though sources do differ on this point),^[2][3] sometimes sleeping for 30 days at a time,^[5] though usually waking weekly for a day or two of activity.^[2][3][5]

Diet

Turkish hamsters have a fairly varied diet,^[2] subsisting primarily on grains and herbs.^[2] They do eat insects on occasion and store roots and leaves in their burrows for hibernation.^[2] As Turkish Hamsters often live near and among farmlands, they often eat human crops and are considered a pest.^[2]

Population and endangerment

The Turkish Hamster is a rare species,^[2][4] but is the most widespread of the family Cricetidae. Its ability to live in a variety of environments means that the Turkish Hamster often lives on farmlands,^[2] and is seen as a pest. Because the Turkish Hamster is looked on as a nuisance by farmers in its area of habitation, the population of the Turkish Hamster is in rapid decline.^[2] In 1996, the Turkish Hamster was categorized as an animal with the lowest risk of extinction,^[2] but due to cases of direct poisoning by farmers, the Turkish Hamster is now near threatened.^[2] More data is needed to understand the population decline of the Turkish Hamster.^[2]

Reproduction

Turkish Hamsters are weaned from their mothers after three weeks of nursing.^[5] After eight weeks of age, female Turkish Hamsters are sexually mature,^[5] but male Turkish Hamsters do not mature until six months of age.^[5] According to iucnredlist.org, Turkish hamsters have two to four litters of young per year, with anywhere from 4 to 20 young per litter, averaging 10 young per litter.^[2] Petwebsite.com differs on this point, arguing that the litter size of the Turkish Hamster is between 1 and 13 young, with an average of 6 young.^[5] Hamster-Care.com and petwebsite.com state that the pregnancy of Turkish Hamsters lasts from 14 to 15 days,^[3][5] while iucnredlist.org puts the gestation period of the Turkish Hamster at 16–17 days.^[2] The two main breeding seasons of the Turkish Hamster are Spring and Fall,^[5] when there are approximately 15–17 hours of daylight per day.^[5]

Relationship to other hamsters

All wild hamsters are solitary creatures and are generally aggressive. Turkish Hamsters are most closely related to the Syrian Hamster and the Golden Hamster,^[3] and together these hamsters make up the entirety of the Crecitidae Family.^[2][4] The Turkish Hamster is considered to be the most aggressive of the three, but this could be because the other two varieties of Crecitidae have been domesticated.^[4][6]

Domestic pets

Turkish Hamsters are not generally kept as pets due to their aggression,^[3] but the Syrian Hamster and Golden Hamster,^[6] the closest relatives of the Turkish Hamster, are extremely common in pet stores all across the world.^[6] The domestication of the hamster was a fairly recent development;^[6] in 1930, a family of Syrian hamsters was domesticated,^[6] and this was the first instance of hamster domestication in history.^[6] Since then, only five of the eighteen varieties of hamster^[6]—the Russian Dwarf Hamster, the Winter White Russian Hamster, the Roborovski Hamster, the Golden Hamster, and the Chinese Hamster—have been domesticated and are sold in pet shops.^[6] Other varieties of hamster remain in the wild,^[6] and Turkish Hamsters are often used in laboratory experiments.^[3]

References

1. ^ Kryštufek, B., Yigit, N. & Amori, G. (2008). Mesocricetus brandti. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 14 Jule 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of near threatened
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac} "Mesocricetus brandti". IUCN RedList. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/13220/0. Retrieved April 19, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s} "Turkish Hamster". Hamster-Care. http://www.hamster-care.com/turkish_hamster.html. Retrieved April 19, 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Mesocricetus brandti - Turkish Hamster". TrekNature. http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo143562.htm. Retrieved April 19, 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} "Turkish Hamster". Pet Web Site. http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/turkish_hamsters.htm. Retrieved April 19, 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} "Types of Hamsters". About Breeding Knowledge. http://www.fredbreeding.com/uncatagorized/types-of-hamsters.html/. Retrieved April 19, 2011.